Paper Palate

In these modern times of takeaway eating and convenience cooking, Chef Christina Pirello remains a culinary champion of healthy, nutritious living. Chef Pirello’s honest approach to cooking with natural whole foods reflects her sincere desire to actively share the proven benefits of a health conscious diet and lifestyle. Her extensive knowledge of the healing properties of eating whole foods and living a natural lifestyle comes from personal experience.

When she was diagnosed with leukemia 16 years ago, her cure came not from medicine, but instead, her recovery resulted from macrobiotics. Chef Pirello discovered that dietary alterations directly influence the health and lifespan of the human body. Still, as simple as this logic may be — healthy eating yields optimal health — it is not standard practice for the masses. Chef Pirello continually strives to remove the myths of cooking with whole foods as being expensive, labor intensive, and lacking in flavor. Her television series, Christina Cooks, numerous books, and official website, all promote the easy accessibility of this beneficial lifestyle.

Chef Pirello’s television series, Christina Cooks, is currently in its seventh season on PBS. The show continues to be fun and entertaining, while providing practical instruction on various healthy cooking techniques and serving suggestions. There is even music in Chef Pirello’s television kitchen, as singer and songwriter Jon Michaels performs while she cooks. Christina Cooks, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Whole Foods, But Were Afraid to Ask is the companion book to the popular television series, and her earlier books include: Cooking the Whole Foods Way and Glow…A Prescription to Radiant Health and Beauty. She also publishes a magazine, Christina’s Living Healthy Journal, that is available by subscription. Her books are equally fun and informative, as is her website.

Christinacooks.com includes recipes (both current and archived) from the television series, menu suggestions with additional recipes included, basic primers on produce selection, and a resource guide for organic whole food products. The website also offers a newsletter, calendar of events and appearances, extensive information about her books, and an online store offering Chef Pirello’s products as well as several of her personal favorite products from various companies. (Links to various company sites personally recommended by Chef Pirello are provided). Finally, “Christina’s Trips” offers vacation packages that are both healthy and fun.

Chef Christina Pirello encourages not only a healthy diet, but also a healthy lifestyle. This better way of life is reflected by her own personal lifestyle, which includes responsible food choices and selective personal care products. She continues to inspire and motivate others by making healthy eating both delicious and practical.

Chef Pirello recently answered five questions for Paper Palate:

1. What has been your most memorable experience with Christina Cooks?

My most memorable experience may not qualify as an experience, but as a result. Because I do the show, I have been afforded so many wonderful opportunities to do some good in the world, like working within Philadelphia schools to impact food choices, hosting fundraising events for charities like Gilda’s Club, Meals-on-Wheels, and Make-A-Wish. Without TV, I would be just another chef and would never have the honor of making appearances like these.

2. What inspired the idea to start Christina’s Trips?

My husband and I were on holiday in St. John in the Virgin Islands and I was complaining that there was nothing for a vegetarian to eat. My husband came up with the idea of healthy vacations, where we provide delicious, gourmet meals while people are on holiday, and it has been wildly successful and fun for us to host these trips in the islands, Central America, and Europe.

3. Your recovery from leukemia via whole foods is both amazing and inspiring; how have you altered your initial food healing diet as the years have passed?

I have veered away from such a restricted intake of protein and fat, in particular. I am very physically active and fit, and while the diet I ate to heal myself when I was ill was effective for that purpose, I need more variety now to sustain my fitness and lifestyle. So now, I guess you could say I have returned to my Italian roots of cooking, with Asian wisdom.

4. Do you have an all-time favorite cooking ingredient?

Good, hearty, Italian extra virgin olive oil … I wish I could drink it!

5. Any one-word advice or suggestion for aspiring chefs?

Passion … and intuition (I know that makes 2 words, but they are the key to success in cooking of any kind).

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Chef Pirello for taking the time to answer five questions for Paper Palate.